Why Beijing’s weaponised cargo ship could be a crucial player in the Taiwan Strait

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The PLA’s ‘containerised destroyer’ can carry missile launchers and hide within commercial shipping lanes, military magazine says

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Amber Wangin BeijingPublished: 8:24pm, 29 Apr 2026Updated: 8:51pm, 29 Apr 2026The People’s Liberation Army’s latest weaponised container ship could play a key role in deterring foreign intervention at a low cost during a Taiwan conflict, according to a mainland Chinese military magazine.The Zhong Da 79 is a medium-sized civilian cargo ship capable of carrying containerised vertical missile launchers, radar sensors and self-defence systems. It was first spotted at the end of last year at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s yard in Shanghai.

An article by Ordnance Industry Science Technology earlier this month referred to the vessel as a “containerised destroyer”, noting its firepower matched that of the PLA’s Type 052D destroyers.

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The civilian cargo ship is around 97 metres (318 feet) long with a displacement of about 9,000 tonnes and a top speed of roughly 20 knots, or about 37km/h (23mph), according to the magazine.

Its deck is loaded with 15 standard shipping containers, each housing four vertical launch systems (VLS) identical to those found on Type 052D and Type 055 destroyers.

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In total, the vessel carries 60 VLS cells, capable of launching HHQ-9B and HHQ-9C surface-to-air missiles, YJ-18 anti-ship missiles and CJ-10 cruise missiles.

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